France’s interior minister has suggested that far-left activists were behind the sabotage of the country’s high-speed rail system on the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony, reports The Guardian.
Four days after the attacks, Gérald Darmanin said the investigation into the arson attacks had “identified a certain number of profiles who could have committed it”.
He suggested those on the extreme left may have been encouraged to strike the transport system by unnamed others, describing the attack as “very precise, extremely well targeted”.
He did not provide any evidence for his claim about the identity of the perpetrators.
Darmanin told the TV channel France 2: “This is the traditional mode of action of the far left. We must be careful, the question is whether they were manipulated or is it for their own benefit. There are people who can approach this movement.”
The minister also confirmed on Monday the arrest of “around 50 people” who had “clearly, with others – estimated at 150 – wanted to carry out either sabotage or radical protests in Paris during the first events of the Olympic Games”.